| A Healthy Building: Dell Children's Medical Center |
Jessica Witcher, Associate/Marketing
Director, ccrd partners
Dell Children’s Medical center of
Central Texas is a 450,000 sf, 168-bed pediatrics hospital, located near
the center of Austin at the former Robert M. Mueller Municipal Airport.
Engineering services for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire
protection were provided by ccrd partners, Glumac's Metier Alliance
partner. This facility is served by an on-site cogeneration thermal
energy plant, with two electrical utility grids to provide power for the
essential electrical system. The hospital was designed under the USGBC
guidelines to qualify for LEED®
certification, and is anticipated to open in the spring 2007. It
is designed for future expansion to ultimately double its original
capacity to serve the growing needs of Central Texas.
Dell Children’s Medical Center uses
Picture Archiving Communication Systems, (PACS), which integrates
imaging with the hospital interface and allows remote viewing by
physicians, clinics and other healthcare providers.
Karlsberger Companies, a nationally
recognized, healthcare planning and design firm that specializes in the
development of children's healthcare spaces, provided the architectural
design. Celebrating their 75th anniversary of architectural excellence,
the firm has worked on more than 60 children's hospitals, more than any
other firm in the world. This extensive experience provides Karlsberger
the knowledge required to successfully solve similar issues,
differently and specifically for each client. The firm embraces
cultural, geographical and operational differences among their pediatric
healthcare clients and applies their knowledge to all.
Serving as a contributing author,
Karlsberger's work is profiled in "Designing the World's Best Children's
Hospitals," a recent book published that portrays the finest pediatric
facilities in the world. Karlsberger is a patron sponsor of the National
Association for Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI),
and members of the firm write articles and frequently present lectures
to a variety of healthcare and design organizations.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio,
the firm has three additional offices across the United States. The firm
provides comprehensive planning, architectural design, interior design,
graphic design, and landscape architectural design services.
In addition, SETON, the leading
provider of healthcare services in Central Texas, is partnering with the
City of Austin and Austin Energy to build a District Energy Plant on
the hospital site that will provide high quality, reliable power, as
well as chilled water and steam. The District Energy Plant will also
have the capability to provide chilled water to other areas on the
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport site.
Green Build Design
Sustainable Site Planning -
The site of the new children's facility (Robert Mueller Municipal
Airport) is part of the City of Austin's Smart Growth Initiative.
Water Conservation - The new children's
facility will contain a rainwater collection system and will be
landscaped for water efficiency.
Energy Efficiency and Energy
Conservation - The new children's facility will contain solar panels
and heat recovery system and high efficiency equipment.
Conservation of Materials and
Resources - The new children's facility will utilize building
materials and interior finishes which contain recycled materials, are
recyclable or reusable, and cause the least environmental harm during
manufacturing, use and disposal. We will reduce emissions of toxic or
dangerous substances into the environment by utilizing materials that do
not emit high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Our building
practices will minimize construction waste and work to recycle and
dispose of waste that is produced in a safe and responsible manner.
Indoor Environmental Quality
- The
new children's facility will enhance the health and
comfort of building occupants by optimizing natural daylight, and
improving indoor air quality to eliminate undesirable health effects
from airborne pollutants.
